Nescafé: Putting Sustainability and Coffee Farmers First

Nestlé’s largest coffee brand, Nescafé, sources coffee from more than 20 countries across the globe.

In doing so, it recognises not only the importance of responsible sourcing, but also the vital role farmers in nations including Honduras, India and Vietnam play in growing the high-quality coffee used in its products. 

At the heart of Nescafé’s operations is the Nescafé Plan 2030, which is aimed at driving regenerative agriculture, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving farmers' livelihoods.

What is Nescafé Plan 2030?

First unveiled in 2022, the Nescafé Plan 2030 outlines how the business is attempting to make its coffee farming more sustainable. 

Building on the original Nescafé Plan established in 2010, this ongoing phase outlines ambitious goals to address climate change, improve livelihoods and ensure the long-term sustainability of coffee production by helping farmers transition to regenerative agriculture.

The brand pledged a bold investment of one billion Swiss francs (US$1.18bn) by 2030, with support coming from Nestlé's regenerative agriculture financing after the group committed to accelerating the transition to a regenerative food system and achieving net zero.

“Climate change is putting coffee-growing areas under pressure,” said David Rennie, EVP for Nestlé Coffee Brands, following the initial launch. 

“Building on the Nescafé Plan, we're accelerating our work to help tackle climate change and address social and economic challenges in the Nescafé value chains.”

What progress has Nescafé Plan 2030 made?

Earlier this year, Nescafé released its second Nescafé Plan 2030 Progress Report, which highlighted increasing adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.

It showed that, in 2023, more than a fifth of Nescafé's coffee was sourced from farmers employing such practices, resulting in improved yield and reduced GHG emissions.

This was based on an assessment provided by the Rainforest Alliance, which monitors farmers across 11 locations where Nescafé sources its coffee.

Farmers in Honduras, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam were demonstrated to be achieving a 5-25% increase in coffee productivity per hectare compared to 2022. 

What’s more, through practices like mulching and fertilisation, a reduction ranging from 15% to 30% was also achieved in terms of GHG emissions per kilogram of coffee harvested.

Overall, the Nescafé Plan 2030 distributed 21 million coffee plantlets to farmers throughout 2023, with the aim of assisting them with renovating and rejuvenating coffee plots – thereby improving productivity in origin countries.

“The Nescafé Plan isn't just about producing great coffee –  it’s also about empowering the communities that grow it,” says Antonia Wanner, Group Head of ESG, Sustainability Strategy and Deployment at Nestlé.

“Supporting farmer incomes is a critical element, and, in many origins like Vietnam, the programme is helping achieve yield increases up to 25%.”

Empowering female farmers

Nescafé’s coffee can be traced back to millions of farmers around the world – many of whom are women. 

The business recently showcased the work of Mai Thi Nhung, a coffee entrepreneur based in Vietnam's Central Highlands who joined the Nescafé Plan in 2015.

Pham Phu Ngoc, Agro Service Manager at Nestlé Vietnam, calls her a “shining example of gender equality and empowerment in action”.

He adds: “I'm proud to have worked in agricultural production management and engineering for more than 34 years, specialising in crops like coffee, pepper, cacao and cashew trees in Vietnam, the second world's leading coffee producer. Improving the lives of female coffee farmers is a truly rewarding aspect of my work with the Nescafé Plan. 

“I'm excited to share the progress we've made with colleagues worldwide to grow incredible coffee and support farmers like Mai Thi Nhung. Coffee is her main crop, but her two-acre farm flourishes with intercropping of pepper and durian trees. 

“This multi-cropping approach increases her income, promotes biodiversity and makes her farm more resilient. Every year, she harvests an impressive quantity of coffee, black pepper, and durian.”

Overcoming barriers 

There are, of course, numerous barriers for coffee farmers in some countries to overcome, including the impacts of climate change and financial shortfalls. 

Female farmers have it even tougher in what is a male-dominated field. In some regions, particularly Vietnam, cultural barriers and lack of access to resources and training limit their participation and ability to compete equitably.

Enter Nescafé Plan 2030. In Vietnam alone, Nescafé is working with more than 21,000 coffee-farming households – many led by women – to promote regenerative practices such as intercropping and offer relevant training. 

Intercropping not only increases yields and income for farmers, but also provides much-needed shade, reducing strain on precious water resources. 

To date, Nescafé Plan 2030's farmer training programmes have reached around 150,000 farmers in 16 countries, including Vietnam, arming farmers with the knowledge to make better-informed decisions and grow their incomes.

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